Australian Benefits Scandal - Commission Slams Former Govt!

I remember back in the late 80's when you could claim up to 12 months underpayments back and the DWP tried to claim that they had overpaid us, the ex was just going to pay the money back but I asked for a review of the money we were claiming and it turned out that they were actually underpaying us rather than overpaying us so the wife claimed the back payments, which amounted to about £1500 in backdated payments. 

They tried this again in the mid 90's but again we asked for a review and it turned out that we were getting all we were entitled too, no overpayments. After we divorced and she died in 2010  there was over £45,000 in her account as she had spent very little apart from on food and household bills except gas and electric which she hadn't paid since 2007 and being put on prepayment meters to recover about £4000 in debts as she had the heating on 24/7, still owing over £3000 when she died, that's another story. The DWP wanted repayments of about £25,000 but the repayments are paid back at £1 per week, The DWP are never likely to see the full amount repaid has the person who pays the weekly payment has paid less than £700 in the 13 years she has being paying it and is likely to die before the full amount is repaid.